How Did Pope Gregory Vii Contribute To The Rise Of The Patriarchs

The Emperor Theodosius affirmed Christianity in the Roman Empire in A.D. 380, naming it the official religion of the empire. Soon afterwards, in an attempt to stabilize Christianity, the bishops created a chain of command within its leadership organization that would come to be known as the Patriarchs, with the bishop of Rome at the top, also known as the Pope. Although Pope Gregory VII would not implement it until the 11th century, the title of pope (Latin for father) was used since the early church in reference to bishops in the Eastern Church. In addition to the Pope, the Patriarchs included the bishops of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. This regulation of Christianity was a necessary move that increased the authority being vested in the Roman popes, a much-anticipated victory after many centuries of Christian persecution. Macaulay writes:

There is not and never was on this earth, a work of human policy so well deserving of examination

Even though the Visigoths lived in relative harmony with the Romans for many years, the arrival of the Huns toward the end of the 4th A.D. cause serious political turmoil up through the mid- 5th century, when Attila rallied a campaign through Hungary. And, although Attila the Hun died only years into his crusade, it is important that one does not underestimate the affect his conquest had on the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. He never travelled very far into the empire, and there is no proof that suggests he ever made it to Rome. And so, because Attila started his campaign through Hungary, moving on to the outskirts of the Roman Empire, he pushed the Germanic tribes deep into the Roman provinces, creating a rebellion that resulted in the sacking of many cities by the Vandals, Franks and Visigoths, including